Revenge or Justice?
by 18lzytwner
Summary: A friend of Booth's is killed and Booth joins the case his friend was working to get the killer. When he goes missing, what will Brennan do? 3rd BB
1. Chapter 1

**Revenge or Justice?**

By 18lzytwner

**Chapter 1**

**The Hoover Building, Monday 10:00 am**

FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth sat at his desk. He was already looking forward to tonight as he and his partner (and girlfriend), Dr. Temperance Brennan, had plans. A few weeks ago, she had won her civil suit and they had gone out to celebrate. Well dinner turned into "lets go to your place" and then into one heck of a night. A smile crossed his lips as he remembered Angela pestering both of them the next day. Brennan had stayed remarkably cool and calm. The forensic artist had no idea what they had done and the two intended to keep it that way for now.

"Brrrrrrrrrring!" The telephone on his desk interrupted his thoughts.

"Booth." He said as he answered it.

"I need you in my office." It was Deputy Director Cullen.

"Yes, sir." Booth stood up when his boss' voice came over the phone. He quickly put the phone down and left his office.

Booth walked up to Cullen's office door and knocked on it. He heard his boss bid him to enter and did so.

"Have a seat." He said. Booth nodded and sat in a seat that was directly in front of the Deputy Director's desk.

"What is it sir?" He asked.

"Yesterday at nine pm, Agent Marcus Langdin's body was found in Colombia. He was working in an undercover operation, trying to break up a cocaine smuggling ring." Cullen said. The news came as a shock to Booth. His friend and fellow agent was dead.

"How sir?" He asked.

"We believe that Langdin's cover was blown. I just thought you should know, since he was a friend." Cullen said.

"What about his wife, Mary, and their two kids?" The G-man asked.

"I'm going to go to their house and tell them the bad news." The Deputy Director said.

"Can I do it, sir? Marcus and I were very good friends and I want to be able to tell them." Booth wondered. Cullen gave him a look. He wasn't sure if he should let Booth do it but he trusted the agent and gave a nod.

"You can't tell her any of the specifics. We don't need the entire two-year undercover operation to go up in smoke. I know it sounds cold but if we don't stop these guys, more innocent people are going to get hurt." He said.

"Yes, sir and thank you." Booth stood up and left the room. He had no idea how he was going to break the news to Mary and the two kids.

**The Langdin House, 11:00 am**

Booth pulled his big black SUV up to the curb in front of the house. He had no idea how he was going to break the news. The FBI Agent always hated having to tell someone their loved one was dead and it was made worse by the fact that he hadn't come to terms with his friend's death either.

Getting out of the government–issued vehicle, Booth closed the driver's side door and slowly walked up to the front door of the house. The Dodge Grand Caravan was sitting in the driveway and Booth realized that the kids were probably at school. He stood in front of the door and pressed the doorbell.

Inside he heard Mary shout that she was coming and then walk to the door. He could hear her trip over something and mutter under her breath.

"Seeley, what are you doing here?" She asked as she let him in. The five foot four woman brushed her chestnut colored hair from her face. Booth opened his mouth but the words wouldn't come. The look on his face must have betrayed the bad news he had to deliver.

"It's Marcus, isn't it? Is he ok?" Mary asked. Booth finally swallowed hard and answered.

"I'm so sorry, Mary." He fought back his own tears as he stopped her from collapsing to the floor. Carefully, he helped her to the living room. She screamed and cried as Booth tried to comfort her. He felt so helpless as all he could do was say he was sorry. When she finally calmed down, she looked at Booth.

"How am I going to tell the kids?" Mary asked.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

_D.D.: I'm glad you liked it. There's quite a bit of Booth and Brennan in this chapter. :) _

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**Chapter 2 **

**Wong Foo's, Monday 7:00 pm**

Booth sat at the bar nursing his beer. He couldn't get the last words Mary Langdin had said to him after he helped her with the kids, _Promise me you'll get the bastard that did this_. Despite everything he'd been trained to do, he had promised her he would and now his thoughts were focused on that and only that.

"Booth, are you ok? I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes." It was Brennan.

"Huh? Oh sorry. I have a lot on my mind." Booth didn't expound on what. Brennan narrowed her eyes at him.

"I know I'm new to this whole 'opening up' thing but you aren't being very open with me right now." She wanted to know what was going on.

"Bones," he used her nickname, a sure sign of trouble, "I can't do this right now. There's too much going on. I promise I'll call you tomorrow." With that Booth got up, put money down on the bar, and turned to leave.

"Booth, wait." Brennan went after him. The FBI Agent slowed down and she caught up to him.

"All I want is to know what's going on. We don't have to do anything but talk." The forensic anthropologist had leaned on him before and she felt that he could afford to do the same. Booth sighed and turned around.

"There is too much to talk about and I need to figure it out alone." He refused to say anything else and continued on his path toward the SUV. Brennan could feel her anger rise and she lashed out at him.

"I don't understand! You want me to open up and tell you things and now you won't talk to me about something that's obviously bothering you. You're being hypocritical. Am I supposed to do as you say but not as you do?" Brennan had her say and she watched him turn around. She could tell that he wanted to say something as he clenched his hands into fists.

"Damn it, Bones! You call me hypocritical! You refused to talk about your parents and your life and I waited for you to open up. You finally do, a little bit and you think you know everything!" He shouted at her. Brennan's eyes went wide. He'd never raised his voice like that. Immediately, Booth regretted doing it but he could see that Brennan was not going to be apart of it.

"Fine, Booth. If that's what you want." It got very cold as she turned her back to him and headed to her own car. Booth spun around and rammed his right fist into the door of the SUV. He wondered if he should go after her but he watched as she revved up her car's engine and left Wong Foo's parking lot on two wheels.

WWWWWWWWWWWWW

Later, Brennan sat on her couch in her apartment. She wasn't sure what to do after the fight she'd had with Booth. They always argued but not like that. The phone rang and she hoped it was Booth.

"Hey, Bren." Her spirits sank, as it was Angela.

"Hi, Angela." The forensic artist could tell that something wasn't right.

"Aren't you supposed to be on a date?" Angela asked. The long pause on the end of the line told her that Brennan was trying to make up some excuse.

"Don't even answer that. I'm coming over." Before Brennan could argue, Angela hung up the phone.

WWWWWWWWWWWW

Booth was brooding in his apartment, trying to figure out what to do. Not only was one of his friends dead and his family in pain, he just pissed off the one woman he loved more than life itself. _Damn it! _He cursed. The FBI Agent reached for the phone but he put it back down. The mess he made couldn't be corrected over the phone. Booth got up off the couch, grabbed his coat, and headed for the door.

WWWWWWWWWWWWW

Brennan heard the knock on the door and got up off her sofa. She didn't think Angela could drive that fast but then again maybe Angela wasn't at home. Imagine her surprise when she found Booth standing on the other side of the door. The forensic anthropologist opened her mouth to say something but no words came.

"Can I come in?" He asked. Brennan nodded.

"Listen, Bones, I… I'm sorry." He said once he was inside.

"Sorry?" Her voice was quiet. It wasn't like Booth to apologize. She was about to say something else when there was another knock on her door. Knowing it was Angela, Brennan cursed inwardly. She opened the door.

"Sweetie, I got… oh." The forensic artist stopped. Quickly, Booth headed toward the door.

"I have to go anyway." He muttered. He knew that Brennan must have called Angela right after they fought and he was sure that the two had talked all about it.

"No, Booth. Stay please." Booth turned around and saw the pleading in Brennan's eyes. He wanted so much to just wrap his arms around her and promise to never do what he did tonight again. She had been right. He shouldn't have kept her out.

"Yes, you stay, I go." Angela tired to lighten the mood with her quirk and she turned and headed for the elevator. She knew that she could bother Brennan about tonight tomorrow at the Lab.

"Come on, Seeley please. I want to talk. I want to know what's going on." The use of his first name told him that she just wanted to understand. He took his arms and wrapped them around her. The embrace felt good and he could feel her arms tighten around him. When they separated, they sat down on the couch and talked. 

To Be Continued…

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_Well this might be the last chapter until next weekend, freakin' college ;)._ _That's when I'll get to the nitty gritty about the whole Booth going after his friend's killer and going missing. Can you wait that long? ;) _


	3. Chapter 3

_D.D: Sorry about the wait. College is well college. Homework sucks. But when I'm a Mechanical Engineer, it'll all work out. _

_Anywho, on with the show! _

**Chapter 3**

**The Hoover Building, Tuesday 9:00 a.m**

Booth stood outside Cullen's office. Yesterday he made a promise; one he intended to keep.

"Come in." Cullen called from the office. Booth opened the door and walked in.

"Sir, I want to be in on the case Marcus was working on." He said.

"You don't waste any time, do you?" The Deputy Director asked.

"Sir." Booth's tone became more adamant.

"Booth, I can't just let you in on a case you have no idea about. That and you and Marcus were friends. We can't have this turning into a case of revenge. It will look extremely bad for both governments." Cullen tried to dispel any ideas in the agent's head.

"You said you wanted these guys to be stopped. Let me in on it, I know plenty." Booth argued.

"What do you know? How'd you find out about it?" His boss grilled him.

"I did some searching. I know all about Carlos Santiago and the drug ring he's been running. I know that the people he's been using like cargo freighters have ended up dead on U.S. soil. The Colombians are bringing the cocaine into the country in their stomachs, giving up the goods, and then being murdered. Tell me why I can't be on this case." Booth answered.

"We can't afford to lose the connection between the FBI and the Jeffersonian." Cullen pointed out.

"Things have been very quiet for me as far as any cases requiring the Jeffersonian's assistance. While I'm gone, another agent can fill in for me." Booth said.

"And who would that be? Even if I can get you on the case, you're going to find that there are few agents who will put up with Dr. Brennan." The Deputy Director reminded him. He left out the fact that the replacement would also be there in case the worst should happen; Booth knew this.

"Special Agent O'Connor can fill in for me while I'm gone." The agent cut him off at the pass again. He knew that his good friend and fellow agent would treat Brennan with respect; there wasn't any other agent he would rather have. _Except of course, Marcus_, the thought passed through his mind. Cullen leaned back in his chair. Booth seemed to have all the bases covered.

"All right, I'll let you in on this case but you have to pack and leave for Bogotá immediately. You can't tell the squints what you're doing and I'm giving strict instructions to O'Connor as well. If you mess this up, I swear to God I'll have your ass. Anything goes wrong; you can personally explain it to the Director after handing in your resignation." Cullen became stern.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Booth immediately turned to leave the Deputy Director's office when his boss called out to him.

"Hold up, Booth. Marcus' body should be arriving today. The funeral is going to be held Friday. Do you want to explain to his wife why you aren't there or should I?" Cullen asked.

"Sir, I hope to be back by Friday." At this, Booth left the Deputy Director's office before his boss could say anything else. The next "shipment" was scheduled for Wednesday night. He hoped to have Santiago out of the picture before then and be on a plane by Thursday at the latest. The FBI Agent went into his office and grabbed a few essential things he would need for the trip and then headed for his apartment.

Twenty minutes later, Booth climbed out of his SUV and made his way up to his apartment. He would grab his bag and a few other things. The flight to Bogotá left at noon, which gave him an hour to be at the airport. He would have to go through special security procedures for the one case he intended to bring.

Soon Booth leaves his apartment, bag, case, and files in hand. Jumping into the big black SUV, he heads for Washington Dulles International Airport. In the back of his mind he wishes he had been able to tell Bones where he was going but he knew that secrecy was important with this case and even though he knew Temperance would never say anything, it would be against regulations. Last night during their talk, he had only told her that Langdin had been killed in the line of duty, he hadn't said how. His first suspicions of her calling Angela after the fight were proven to be wrong and he was sure that Bones was getting an earful from the forensic artist today anyway.

**Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab 12:00 pm**

Dr. Temperance Brennan sat in her chair at her desk. The stack of paperwork in front of her hadn't gotten any smaller since arriving there almost an hour ago. She and her team had been up to their eyeballs in old back logged cases. Brennan had been told by Dr. Saroyan that Dr. Goodman had wanted to see some progress when he came back from his two-month sabbatical. Something inside her boiled at the fact that this coroner had gotten the job of the Head of the Forensics department over her and had even made the remark that Goodman had gone on sabbatical to hide from her.

On top of that the fight she had with Booth last night had put her in a mood. They had talked and she thought that they had resolved their problem. However, when she woke up this morning, she found her companion to be missing. They had a shared her bed but not used it for anything other than sleeping. Still it aggravated her slightly that he hadn't left a note or gave her a kiss good-bye. A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Angela, we already talked this morning. I need to get this work done." She said absent-mindedly without looking up from the report on the World War I solider in front of her.

"Pardon me ma'am but I'm looking for a Dr. Brennan. I was told this was her office." The slight Irish accent caught her off guard. She looked up from her paperwork to see that a tall, handsome man wearing a suit was standing in her doorway.

"I'm Dr. Brennan." She said without apologizing for her earlier comments.

"I'm Special Agent Liam O'Connor. I'll be filling in for Special Agent Booth for a few days." He explained.

"Filling in?" Brennan asked, trying to hide her shock. She stood up from her office chair and went over to shake hands with the agent.

"Yes ma'am. He was called away on a case. He hopes to be back by Friday." Liam said as they shook hands.

"Do you have a case?" She asked.

"No, I'm basically here in case there is a case." The sentence came out awkwardly and the agent smiled.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I was just about to join my co-worker for lunch. It was nice meeting you." Brennan smiled and shook his hand again.

"It was nice meeting you, Dr. Brennan." Liam smiled again. Bones then left her office but she had no intention of going to lunch.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

**Bogotá, Colombia 4:00 pm**

Booth sat in the front passenger seat of the DEA rent-a-wreck on the way out of Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado (El Dorado International Airport).

"I see you've spared no expense." Booth smirked.

"Yes of course. I take it you've been brought up to speed about the case." DEA Agent Miguel Sanchez smiled slightly.

"The 'shipment' departs Wednesday and I hope that I can be back in D.C. by Friday." Booth told him.

"With any luck, we both will. I'm sorry about Marcus. He was a good man and a good agent." Sanchez said.

"Yes, he was. His funeral is on Friday at 10 a.m." The FBI Agent told him. Sanchez nodded and moved the car around the cart in the road.

"I see you brought the heavy artillery." He kept his eyes on the road and motioned by moving his head towards the back of the car. The DEA Agent had placed Booth's case in the trunk. Booth nodded.

"I've been instructed to take Santiago alive but between you and me, if an accident were to happen, I wouldn't exactly be crying about it." Sanchez smiled. Again Booth only nodded.

"We're here at the lovely DEA headquarters. We have some plainclothes detectives from the Columbia police inside waiting for us." The DEA Agent explained. For the third time, Booth nodded.

Climbing out of the car, the two moved to the car's trunk and then to the inside of the old delapidated building. Once inside, they were greeted by other DEA Agents and detectives from the Colombian police.

"Gentlemen, tomorrow night is our last chance before Santiago slips through our fingers. His drug ring has been successful in the United States but he never stays with one city long. His current target, Los Angeles, is becoming too dangerous. We will not know what his next move is until it's already too late. We've managed to track him from Peru and Brazil. Colombia will be his last stop." The lead Colombian Dectective Perez said. A murmur went across the room as Booth made his way to the front of the room.

"Ah, you must be FBI Special Agent Booth. Welcome aboard and I'm sorry about Agent Langdin." Perez told him as they shook hands.

"Thank you sir." Booth said.

"Come, while the others get ready for tomorrow, I need to speak with you." The dectective said. They moved over to a part of the room where they would not be interrupted.

"I've been told that you have a certain talent that might interest me." Perez pointed at the case, Booth brought with him.

"Yes, sir, I believe I do." The FBI Agent said.

"I understand that your government would like Santiago alive, however, _my_ government would like nothing more than to be rid of Carlos Santiago _permanently_." Perez told him in a hushed tone.

"Then I aim to please but I can't have this coming back to bite me in the butt either." Booth said. The lead dectective nodded in understanding.

"I can promise you that it won't. If you do us a favor, we will do you a favor." Perez told him.

"How?" Booth wanted to know.

"We will say that Santiago's death was a result of a shoot out between our team and his men. He will die in the crossfire." Perez smiled.

"What if something goes wrong?" Booth asked.

"Everyone is to take out Santiago and his men. We will try to make some arrests to make it look good. From your position, you should be able to join us without anyone noticing you weren't with the infiltrating team. With everyone wearing tactical gear, no one will know that you aren't around." Perez promised.

"All right. Show me the plans." Booth said.

To Be Continued…

_A/N: I know this was short but there's more coming soon, I hope._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: This chapter is all Booth just as the last chapter. Brennan will make an appearance soon in Chapter 6. Be sure to read the upcoming author's notes as well for a little direction in case you get lost. Also later in the chapter there is a slightly graphic description, just thought I'd warn you. _

**Chapter 5 **

**Bogotá, ****Colombia, Wednesday at 6:00 pm**

Booth climbed into his position in his hideaway spot. The plan was simple. He was to kill Santiago quickly, get off the roof, retrieve his tactical gear, and then join the others of the infiltration team. There was one team coming from the east and the other from the west coming into the alley near the house. Booth would join the west team when he was done.

On the roof on the building, he placed the barrel of his Heckler & Koch PSG-1 in a niche on the roof. The bulk of the 17.81 pound gun rested on the tripod, while the butt of the sniper rifle rested on his shoulder. Lining the Hendsoldt 6 x 42 millimeter telescopic sight up to his right eye, Booth waited for the opportune moment. He was within the 1000 meter (3280.84 feet) range, but far enough that no one would hear his radio. A noise pulled him back to reality.

Booth rubbed his right eye and put it back up to the sight. The first of Santiago's men entered his crosshairs. They had just moved from inside the dwelling to the back porch. His radio cackled to life and Booth could hear Perez's voice over it.

"Do you have the target?"

"Negative. I don't have a clear shot." Booth answered. He expected to hear Perez again but he didn't. It was at that moment that Santiago came into view. Everything around him grew silent. There was only him, the rifle, and the target. Santiago entered the crosshairs and Booth squeezed the trigger.

The bullet left the barrel of the PSG-1 at a speed of 820 meters per second (1834.29 miles per hour). Santiago never knew what hit him. When the bullet penetrated the drug lord's forehead it blew out the back of his skull. The bullet imbedded into a wall while brain matter, blood, and pieces of skull spat onto to two of Santiago's men. At first one of them tried to scoop the pieces up and put them back where they belonged. The other however decided it would be better to fire in the direction of which he thought the shot came from.

Booth rolled over and pulled the rifle back out of the niche. He then heard the order to move in from the radio. More shots were fired. Quickly, he pulled the tripod off the rifle and easily pulled it apart and back into the case. Next the rifle went away. Once it was in the case, Booth started to move toward his exit.

He had to continue with the plan and make it look like he'd been with the others. Then he heard more shots heading in his direction. Booth quickly, flattened himself against the roof. A voice came over the radio.

"There's someone heading to the building across the alley." It was Perez. Booth moved toward the door on the roof and made his way down the stairs. He wasn't going to let the guy get away. Booth left the rifle case on a landing. Pulling his Glock 22 from his shoulder holster, Booth continued to move down the stairs. He heard shouting in Spanish and moved faster down the stairs.

The FBI Agent heard footsteps on the stairs and knew the guy was coming up as fast as he was moving down. He hid himself around a corner and waited for the man to round it. Booth didn't have to wait long. Within what seemed a matter of seconds, the man rounded the corner. The G-man fired his weapon.

_BLAM! _

The other man fired back.

_BLAM! BLAM!_

One more shot followed.

_BLAM!_

Then there was silence.

**A few minutes later…**

Detective Perez climbed the staircase after it was obvious Booth hadn't joined the rest of the team. He figured that the FBI Agent had encountered the man who had tried to escape. It was then that he came upon the scene of the shootout.

The henchmen lay on the ground, a bullet hole in his stomach and in his chest. Booth had killed him with the second shot. There was blood along the far wall leading to the next set of stairs and Perez followed it. A few landings up he found Booth's sniper case. He grabbed it and moved back down the stairs.

"I have a body in here." He radioed to the crew.

"Whose body?" DEA Agent Sanchez's voice came over the air waves.

"It's one of Santiago's men. There's blood over here but no sign of Booth." Perez told him.

"He had his tactical gear on didn't he?" Sanchez asked.

"Just get up here. We need to find him and get him some help." Perez ordered.

"All right." Sanchez answered. Perez moved down to the stairs stepping over the dead body and worked his way to the special hiding spot. Booth had hid his gear, goggles, knee pads, and helmet, there and now they weren't there.

The rest of the team moved in and went apartment by apartment. No one claimed to have seen anyone matching Booth's description and the few people that had heard the shooting said that they had stayed inside their apartments. Perez cursed under his breath. How could things have gone so wrong?

"We've got Anderson and Diaz on the way to the hospital." Sanchez said meeting up with Perez.

"All right, we need to start looking for Booth outside. Maybe he did make it that far and collapsed somewhere else. It doesn't sound logical but we have to find him." The lead detective said.

"Why was Booth coming down the stairs? Shouldn't he have been chasing the guy up the stairs?" Sanchez asked. Perez ignored the question and they moved on.

To Be Continued…

_A/N: The next chapter goes back to Tuesday and explains what Brennan is doing. Make sure to pay attention to the headings._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Just a reminder to read carefully. :)_

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**Chapter 6 **

**The Hoover Building in Washington D.C. at 12:30 pm on Tuesday**

While Booth was in the air on the way to Colombia, Brennan was driving down toward the Hoover Building. The entire ride to FBI Headquarters she tried to rationalize what she was doing but she couldn't. Her heart continued to tell her she had to know where Booth was but her brain screamed that he was just on a case and would be back soon, that she shouldn't jeopardize revealing their relationship.

After arriving, she walks to the desk to get a visitor's pass. Brennan recognized the security guard behind the check-in desk as Bob Cline.

"Hi, Bob. Can I get a visitor pass?" She asks.

"Of course, Dr. Brennan. Here to see Special Agent Booth, I take it." Bob made small talk.

"Yes, I have to drop off these reports." Brennan wasn't used to lying and she hoped that the security guard would believe her. Those files in her hand had nothing to do with the last case they worked on.

"Oh well, then here you go." Bob smiled and handed over the pass.

"Thanks." She smiled back and turned to head toward the elevators. Once inside the metal car, she breathed a sigh of relief. This lying thing was getting easier and something inside her wanted to throw up. She hated to lie.

Getting off at Booth's floor, she strode toward his office. That's when she saw Deputy Director Cullen round the corner.

"Dr. Brennan, if you're looking for Agent Booth, you missed him. I would have thought his temporary replacement would have been down to the Jeffersonian by now." Cullen said.

"Oh I left for an early lunch. I haven't been at the Jeffersonian for an hour. Why would Booth need a temporary replacement?" More lies.

"Well, Booth is off on an important case. I expect him back by Friday afternoon." The Deputy Director said.

"It was so important that he couldn't call my cell before leaving? Could have saved me the trip." Brennan gave him a glare.

"He couldn't afford to waste any time. A window was closing and we had to take it. If he had waited any longer, it would have jeopardized the case." Cullen glared right back.

"Wasted time by giving his partner a phone call?" She shot back.

"You squints just don't get it. We can't inform you of every move we make." He said.

"Oh but you can send me another agent without an explanation? I think the team and I deserve an explanation." Brennan questioned him.

"No matter what you say, I'm not telling you where Booth is or what he's doing. Now you if you would leave." By the tone in the Deputy Director's voice, she would only make the situation worse. Brennan glared one more time before turning to leave. If she couldn't get the information from him, there had to be a way to get it out of Agent O'Connor.

**Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab 1:00 pm**

Angela walked over to the lab table where Hodgins was busy looking at something under the microscope. He immediately noticed her presence and had the irresistible urge to kiss her. Restraining himself, he asked,

"What's up, Angela?"

"Who's that man whose standing over by Brennan's office?" She asked. By her tone, Hodgins could tell that she was almost bubbly.

"He's taking over for Booth until Friday." Hodgins said.

"Where's Booth?" Automatically her tone changed. It would explain why Brennan wasn't in her office.

"I don't know, all Belfast boy said is that Booth is off on another case." After the words, escaped his lips, he knew he shouldn't have said anything. Angela was about to say something else when she saw Brennan come into the lab.

"Uh oh." Angela said.

"What's going on?" It was Dr. Saroyan.

"Double uh oh." Hodgins said.

"What are you talking about Hodgepodge?" Cam asked as she watched Angela bolt off to get to Brennan.

"Uh, well uh…" Hodgins actually stuttered. Knowing this wasn't good; Cam moved to go talk to Brennan but the entomologist stopped her.

"I know you're the boss but I'd give Brennan some space. Especially since she knows that Booth has a replacement until Friday." He said.

"Why would that be such a big deal?" Cam asked.

"Well if Booth didn't tell her he was going off on another case, she'll be pissed with him. Second, if she can't get any answers out of Agent O'Connor, she will feel as if she's being treated like a squint. She hates that and the whole word 'squint'." Hodgins told her. Cam nodded.

"How do you guys get anything done around here, when you aren't working on a case with Booth?" She asked.

"Usually, things aren't that bad but as of late, things have been different. Especially after Brennan was shot." Hodgins told her. By the look on the Head of Forensics face, she hadn't known about that.

"Why doesn't anyone tell me these things?" Cam asked. Hodgins wasn't about to answer that question, he'd already said too much. That's when he saw Zach moving toward them. He made a motion for the student to turn away while Dr. Saroyan's attention was focused on Angela and Brennan. Zach was confused at first but when Hodgins drew his finger across his throat, he understood and turned away.

"Hon, you need to calm down. I'm sure that Booth meant to call but he couldn't." Angela said as they walked into the forensic anthropologist's office. Brennan shut the door and plopped down in her chair.

"Angela, I hate these feelings inside me. I can't understand what's wrong with me." She said.

"Bren, sweetie, just take a deep breath. I'm sure Booth will be fine." Angela tried to reassure her.

"I know, I know. But that doesn't explain the strange feelings in my stomach. It's completely illogical." Brennan said.

"Hon, love is funny that way." Angela smiled. It was so obvious what Temperance was feeling. At this, her friend remained silent.

"You can't fool me. After your civil suit was over, you came into work the next day with the goofiest smile on your face. Don't think for a second, you're fooling me. In fact, probably the only one you're fooling is Captain Clueless." The forensic artist continued.

"Captain Clueless?" Brennan looked confused.

"Zach." Angela sighed. Temperance still seemed confused.

"You and Booth have a chance to be a part of something great, I know it. He'll be home on Friday and you can ream his butt then but please for everyone's sake just calm down. You don't want Cam to fire you do you?" Angela struck a chord.

"All right. Let's get back to work. Things aren't getting done around here. Why is Agent O'Connor still here?" Brennan asked.

"I think he has a meeting with Cam." Angela said. Brennan made a face and stood up. Grabbing her lab coat, she pulled the jacket on and went to talk with Zach. She had to suppress these feelings. Angela was right, no matter how much she hated being wrong, Brennan knew what her friend had said was true. Booth would be home soon. 

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Sorry this took so long. You can complain to my college professors about it. For those Angel fans out there, I through in something that might jog your memory. Now Angel's original name has already been used so see what you think (not his vampire name his other name)._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab, Friday at 2:30 pm**

Angela Montenegro was walking from her office when Agent O'Connor came over to her. He was attractive and she couldn't help but notice. At over six feet tall, the brown haired-brown eyed man stood out from the crowd he had broad shoulders and obvious chiseled body showed through his suit. Something in her swore that he looked an awful lot like a younger Booth would have.

"Pardon me, ma'am, but can I ask you something?" Agent O'Connor's slight Irish accent came through.

"Sure, anything." Angela smiled.

"I have to talk to Dr. Brennan about something and I just want to make sure she won't try to yell or hurt me." Liam said nervously.

"You saw her little explosion the other day, didn't you?" She asked. He nodded.

"Brennan hates not being told something and she was mad at Booth for not saying anything about leaving. Their partners and she hates to be left out of the loop." Angela explained.

"So just tell her the truth and do it fast, like ripping off a bandage." She continued hoping to cushion him from the forensic anthropologist's recent behavior.

"I know this isn't any of my business but are she and Booth involved?" He asked.

"You're right it isn't but even if they were involved I wouldn't approach the situation much different." Angela said.

"One more thing," Liam started.

WWWWWWWWWWWW

Hodgins watched from a distance. He smirked at the fact that the FBI Agent was talking to Angela. _He's probably asking her out and she'll flirt and say yes because she doesn't really know…_ the rest of the sentence never finished as he watched O'Connor walk towards Brennan's office and Angela walked toward him.

WWWWWWWWWWWW

"Dr. Brennan, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Agent O'Connor asked as he leaned against the doorway.

"Zach, we'll finish this up a little later. Continue examining the bones and let me know if you find anything else." The forensic anthropologist said.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan." Zach answered, happy to get back to work.

"What is it Agent O'Connor?" Brennan's tone was sharp. He closed her office door and walked over toward her desk.

"What I'm about to tell you is something I'm not really supposed to tell you but since you are his partner I thought you should know." He said. At this, Brennan's eyes went wide.

"I've been told that my temporary job here might become more of a permanent job." O'Connor delivered the blow.

"What?" The word barely audible as it came out of the forensic anthropologist's mouth.

"I will try to find out more but you have to not say anything. If they find out I said something, I'll be in big trouble." O'Connor told her.

"I understand that but I need to know. There has to be something going on at the Bureau. You can't leave me out of the loop." Brennan voice grew louder.

"Dr., please keep your voice down. Let me go back to the Hoover Building and find out what I can. I couldn't tell you over the phone because I didn't want anyone to know I was saying anything so please tell no one." Liam practically begged. He then turned and left the office while Brennan's mind raced. What happened to Booth? Where was he? What if she wasn't going to see him again? Suddenly another thought entered her mind. What if he body ended up on her table?

"Brrrring!" The phone rang and immediately she picked it up.

"Brennan." She answered.

"I was able to find out something else." It was Agent O'Connor. The connection wasn't that good and she assumed he was using his cell phone somewhere private. He had called back fast, she thought until she looked at the clock. It had been thirty minutes.

"Dr. Brennan?" He asked.

"I'm here." She replied.

"More agents are being sent to Colombia. I think that's where Booth is." Liam replied.

"Thank you, Agent O'Connor." She said a new found resolve was in her voice.

"Again, I …" Brennan cut him off.

"You didn't say a word. Good bye." She hung up. Thoughts swirled around in her head but they were different from the ones before. Quickly, she picked the phone back up and made another call.

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Sorry for the delay. I've been trying to get this and my other two stories plus my Bull-Pen Challenge done. And oh yeah college. Anyways, on with the show!_

* * *

**Chapter 8 **

**On a Flight to Bogotá, Colombia, Friday at 7:30 pm**

Dr. Temperance Brennan sat in the window seat on a plane bound for El Dorado International Airport. The logical part of her mind screamed that what she was doing and what she had done were crazy but her heart told her she ahd to go find Booth. He would do the same for her and as his partner she had every right to do so.

_Miss independent; Miss self-sufficient; Miss keep your distance; Miss unafraid; Miss out of my way; Miss don't let a man interfere, no…_

She had called her friend in Colombia after getting off the phone with Agent O'Connor. His name was Eduardo Santana and he had once worked for the Colombian police. However, Eduardo was working for a security company when she met him. He was hired to help protect her and others when they had been called in for their expertise. It had been a gruesome mass burial site left over from the political and military troubles some years ago. Eduardo still had connections on the force and he used them to get more information about Booth.

_Miss on her own; Miss almost grown; Miss never let a man help her off her throne; So, by keeping her heart protected; She'd never ever feel rejected; Little miss apprehensive; Said ooh, she fell in love…_

"Agent Booth is missing and possibly presumed dead." Had been the words he'd used. Brennan couldn't get them out of her head. Her mind had begun to conjure up images of her one-day finding his body or what was left of his body on her examining table. Her emotions toyed with her and are still toying with her.

_What is this feelin' takin' over?; Thinkin' no one could open my door; Surprise...It's time; To feel what's real; What happened to Miss Independent?; No longer needs to be defensive; Goodbye on you; Real love is true…_

Brennan tried to shake these thoughts and images from her mind and be the logical person she could be but they refused to leave her alone. Everyone she really cares about leaves or disappears but she can't let Booth go. Something inside her refuses to let Booth go or admit the fact that he could be dead.

_Miss guided heart; Miss play it smart; Miss if you want to use that line you better not start, no; But she miscalculated; She didn't want to end up jaded; And this miss decided not to miss out on true love…_

Her thoughts now turn to the note she left on her desk. It would be Monday before anyone found it and she hoped that there was a slight chance she'd get back before then and no one would ever seeit.

_So, by changing her misconceptions; She went in a new direction; And found inside she felt a connection; She fell in love… _

The note was short and to the point without much explanation. It said that she was resigning her position effective immediately. Something in her head told her that her team might not understand and she felt bad for not giving them a better explanation.

_What is this feelin' takin' over?; Thinkin' no one could open my door; Surprise...It's time; To feel what's real; What happened to Miss Independent?; No longer needs to be defensive; Goodbye on you; Real love is true…_

Hopefully Angela would understand and she could tell Hodgins and Zach. Cam wouldn't care; she'd be out of her hair.

_When Miss Independent walked away; No time for a love that came her way; She looked in the mirror and thought today; What happened to miss no longer afraid?; It took some time for her to see; How beautiful love could truly be; No more talk of what cannot be real…_

Booth had to be the only thing she focused on at this moment.

_I'm so glad I finally feel…_

She had to find him, despite not even knowing where to start looking.

_What is this feelin' takin' over?; Thinkin' no one could open my door; Surprise...It's time; To feel what's real; What happened to Miss Independent?; No longer needs to be defensive; Goodbye on you; Real love real love is true..._

Her jaw set firm Brennan just tried to focus. She couldn't let Eduardo see her feelings for Booth. Regaining her composure, Temperance situated herself in her seat and tried to get some sleep.

_Miss Independent._

**Somewhere outside Bogotá, Colombia, Friday at 8:00 pm**

FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth slowly opened his eyes. He could feel pain shooting up from his left leg and some in his right arm. Booth tried to sit up but a lady stopped him.

"Señor por favor descanse." (Sir please rest). He understood 'por favor' and figured whoever she was she was there to help him. Booth tried to speak but his lips were parched and nothing came out. He tried wetting his lips and the woman understood. She got up and went into the kitchen to get some water.

"Gracias." (Thank you) Booth said after downing some of the cool liquid.

"De nada." (You're welcome) She answered as she handed him some pills. The woman gestured for him to take them but he was leery.

"Le ayudarán." (They will help.) She gestured trying to get him to understand. Booth took a deep breath and nodded. She could have killed him already if she was interested. Using his left hand he popped the pills into his mouth and she helped him with the water. That taken care of he wondered what he was going to do next. 

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N 2: The song is Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent"._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Bogotá, Colombia, Saturday at 6:30 am**

Light filtered in through the curtains that covered the window in the living room of the apartment. Dr. Brennan hadn't slept much at all. She had wanted to start looking for Booth when she arrived at the airport but Eduardo had convinced her to try to get some sleep. He had offered for her to stay at his apartment because it was too late to check into any hotel. Eduardo had offered her to take his bed while he took the pull-out sofa but she didn't want to impose.

Brennan pulled the covers off and sat up. Stretching her arms, she stood up and walked over to her suitcase. The forensic anthropologist padded down the hall to the bathroom.

A little later she walked out of the room and headed back toward the living room. There she opened the curtains and looked out the living room window. The sun had come up fully and she hoped that today she would be able to find Booth.

_You know the police, FBI, and DEA are all over this. They'll find Booth. What are you doing here?_ The voice in her head was back.

_I'm here because I **want** to find Booth. I **need** to find him. _She tried to quiet the voice. _There's too much at stake for me to turn back now._

"Good morning, Dr. Brennan." Eduardo had come down the hall from his bedroom without her noticing.

"Good morning. I hope I didn't wake you. Thank you again for allowing me to use your sofa." She smiled.

"You didn't wake me, I suppose it's an old habit I've picked up from those years I spent as a detective, and you're welcome for the sofa. Why don't you take a shower while I fix us some breakfast?" Santana said. Brennan nodded and grabbed her suitcase. Moving toward the bathroom again, thoughts danced around in her head.

Eduardo didn't talk much about his days on the police force and for being in his thirties it seemed odd that he'd left the job and still had connections. At this point, though she was glad he still did otherwise they weren't going to have much luck finding Booth. Closing the bathroom door, she quickly got undressed and hopped into the shower.

**Angela's Apartment, Saturday at 8:30 am**

Angela Montenegro slowly sat up in her bed. Her thoughts had been focused on what had transpired the day before at Medico-Legal Lab. Agent O'Connor had asked her out on a date sometime and she had politely declined. Something about that seemed odd to her because she wasn't in a real relationship with anyone and yet it felt wrong to say 'yes'.

After that was over she had headed over to see Hodgins and he had been incredibly cold towards her and not said much. Confused she moved to go talk to Brennan when she noticed that Agent O'Connor was still talking to her best friend and the forensic artist headed back toward her office. Later when she had come out of her office, Brennan wasn't in hers and she figured that maybe Booth had swung by after coming back from the case he'd suddenly been thrust into. It was then that she realized she hadn't seen the FB eye candy Agent at all or heard anything. Brennan usually would have told her if she was going out with Booth. Something seemed odd and the forensic artist jumped up from bed and quickly went into her bathroom. She needed to talk to Brennan.

Twenty minutes later, Angela emerged from the bathroom showered and dressed for the day. It had to be the fastest she's ever gotten ready for anything in her life but there wasn't time to dwell on it. She grabbed her keys and purse and headed downstairs to catch a taxi.

**Bogotá, Colombia, Saturday at 9:00 am**

Dr. Brennan climbed out of a taxi as Eduardo paid the driver. They had just spent the past hour and a half talking to one of Eduardo's contacts. He had given them all the information that he could dig up.

Carlos Santiago, a very powerful drug lord, had been killed in a police shootout. An American DEA Agent and a Colombian SWAT member had been shot and taken to the local hospital. Both men would be ok but that still left that fact that Booth was missing. The official story had been that Booth had chased after one of the men trying to escape.

Now she and Eduardo headed into the building that the contact said had been where the henchman had ducked into. They walked up the stairs until they reached the landing of where the shootout between Booth and the other man had taken place. Someone had scrubbed the walls but it was still obvious where blood had been. Immediately, Brennan could tell something was wrong.

There was a spot where blood had pooled and whoever tried to clean it up had had a really hard time removing it off the wooden stairs.

"This must be where the henchman was killed." Eduardo said.

"That doesn't make any sense. Booth would have had to of come down the stairs to engage him. He was supposedly chasing after him. There wouldn't be blood on the far wall." Brennan told him.

"So the report wasn't exactly truthful. If your Agent Booth was coming down the stairs…" Eduardo paused.

"Then he was already in the building before the man got here. Why would he…" she stopped.

"How exactly was Santiago killed?" She asked.

"The report says he sustained multiple gunshots to the torso and one to the head." Eduardo answered. Brennan knew what had happened. Booth had used those skills taught to him when he was an Army Ranger.

"The report also says that no one admitted to seeing or hearing anything." He said.

"That's impossible they would have to at least hear something." Brennan told him.

"It isn't unusual for people to lie to the police here, mostly because it keeps them alive." Eduardo let her know. Brennan sighed. The police in Colombia had a reputation for not exactly being trustworthy and that's what made it hard for the real trustworthy police staying alive as well.

"I want to question some of these people. They might tell me something whereas they weren't so likely to talk to the police." She said. Eduardo nodded and they walked back down the stairs until the reached the first door.

Brennan knocked and waited for a response. A middle-aged woman answered the door and looked at the two standing before her. It was obvious that she was about to shut the door on them when Brennan stuck her foot in the door.

"Ma'am please we want to know what happened." She pointed to the landing. The woman gave her a look and Eduardo spoke to her in rapid Spanish. Brennan wondered if whatever he had said to her worked but after a few moments of silence the woman looked out into the hall. Moving her head to right and left, she noted that the hallway was empty. Brennan followed her movements and didn't see anyone either. The woman rapidly spoke in Spanish.

"She says we can come in." Eduardo told Brennan and quickly the two ducked into the apartment.

To Be Continued…

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_A/N: As always I wish to thank all my readers and reviewers who are sticking by despite my crazy updating. I hope you are enjoying the story. _


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 **

**Somewhere outside Bogotá, Colombia, Saturday at 10:00 am**

FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth stood up using a cane and started to hobble around a little. His muscles were stiff from lack of use and he wanted to get the blood pumping. The woman who had been taking care of him, a Senorita Chavez, had brought him a cane and a sling earlier this morning and he wanted to put them to good use. That's when he heard a knock on the door. The Senorita quickly put down her coffee and went to answer it.

There was an exchange of rapid Spanish at the door and Booth wondered what was going on. He then saw Miss Chavez lead, the woman he recognized as, Senorita Estavez, an unfamiliar man, and…

"Bones!"

"Seeley!" Dr. Brennan went over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you ok?" It seemed like an idiotic question considering she noticed the sling and cane.

"I'll live. What are you doing here?" Booth asked.

"I'm here to get you. Though I'm not sure exactly why after you left like that." Brennan said as she pulled back.

"I'm sorry about that but I couldn't let you know I was going undercover. I take it Agent O'Connor spilled the beans." Booth smiled. The classic 'I don't know what that means' look crossed her face.

"He told you that I was here." He explained.

"All he could find out was that more agents were being sent here and I'm not supposed to say anything." Brennan said. Booth shook his head. Liam had gone out on a big limb for him.

"Dr. Brennan, we must discuss…" the man started.

"Pardon me, Booth this is Eduardo Santana. I know him from when I spent some time down here." Temperance introduced them. The two shook hands and got back to business.

"We learned from Senorita Estavez the reason you ended up here at her cousin's was because she recognized one of the men looking for you." Brennan told Booth.

"Well that really isn't a shock because there were Columbian police officers." The FBI Agent said.

"Well yes and no." Eduardo said. Senorita Estavez spoke up. Her rapid Spanish went over Booth and Brennan's head.

"She says that she recognized one of them as a man who worked for Carlos Santiago." Eduardo translated. Booth made a face.

"Damn! I should have known better."

"What?" Brennan wondered.

"One of the police officers was under Santiago's thumb. No doubt he set me up." Booth said.

"Well at least I can tell you who it is." Eduardo said.

"Senorita Estavez described him to me and I believe that the man is a Detective Perez. I remember him from my days on the police force." He continued.

"Son of a bitch! He played me from the start. I killed Santiago for him. He told me the Columbian government wanted Santiago to disappear permanently and because I was blinded by the death of my friend, I did what he wanted without asking questions." Booth clenched the cane harder.

"Deberíamos conseguirle de sus pies." Senorita Chavez interrupted them.

"She says we should get you off your feet." Eduardo translated. Booth nodded and Brennan helped him over to the couch. She could tell he was angry.

"Listen, you didn't know that this Detective Perez was dirty. Besides it's only logical that you'd want to give your friend justice." Brennan did her best to comfort him.

"No, it wasn't justice it was revenge and I should have known better." Booth gritted his teeth.

"Well we've both done things we aren't exactly proud of." She said. He was about to ask her what she meant but Eduardo interrupted him.

"No doubt that Perez wanted you dead after killing his boss. Only you and he know what really happened and that's why the man attacked you in the apartment building." The ex-police officer said.

"Yeah well I guess Perez didn't realize how handy I am with my Glock as well as my PSG-1." Booth told them.

"My guess is he picked his second best shooter to come after you so he could finish the job himself." Eduardo said. Booth nodded in agreement.

"Well I think that you and Dr. Brennan should disappear back to the U.S. Perez will find a way of getting rid of you." Santana continued.

"I'm not letting this guy get the best of me." Booth said. Brennan wasn't sure if that was such a good idea.

"Seeley, I've seen what these people can do. I don't want…" she didn't get the chance to finish.

"Perez will continue to look for me anyway, even if I return to the States. They have their connections. It has to end here. I'm not going home without handling this." Booth said. At this Brennan, realized the danger they were in.

"You're probably right but with what weapons are you going to fight them with?" Eduardo asked. Booth realized that his sniper rifle and two sidearms were missing.

"Espere un minuto." Senorita Chavez disappeared down the hall. Booth and Brennan looked at each other. The Senorita returned in a minute holding a bag. She handed the FBI Agent the bag. Booth opened it and looked inside. A smile spread across his face.

"My Glock and my Smith and Wesson. Gracias." He told her.

"De nada." She smiled.

To Be Continued…


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab 10:30 a.m. on Saturday**

Angela Montenegro walked into the Lab to find it not as deserted as it should be on a Saturday. Hodgins was looking through some things at his station, which seemed to be odd considering he never spent time in the Lab on the weekend, unless he had to.

"Hodgey, what are you doing here on a Saturday?" Angela asked.

"If you're here to tell Dr. Brennan all about your date with Agent O'Connor last night, she isn't here." Hodgins ignored her question.

"Excuse me?" Angela asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't play games with me like that, Angela. You fell for his accent and good looks the moment he walked into the Lab." The entomologist moved so that his face was inches from hers.

"For one thing it's none of your business what I did last night and for another thing I thought we both agreed that what we have been doing wasn't exclusive." Angela told him.

"I know we said that but I can't…" Hodgins stopped. Angela was about to say something but she never got the chance. The entomologist put his hands on her cheeks and pulled his lips to hers. Angela didn't put up a fight as she unfolded her arms and moved her hands to the side of his head. Hodgins' fingers found their way into the forensic artist's slightly curly brown hair.

Their lips separated but their foreheads didn't. Angela put her arms around Jack's neck and his arms were around her waist. The forensic artist was smiling but Hodgins had a concerned look on his face.

"Angela, you were right. It wasn't any of my business about what you did on Friday. It's just that I…" she cut him off.

"I didn't do anything Friday night. I couldn't do anything Friday night because you didn't ask me to. I told Agent O'Connor I was seeing someone." Angela smiled and she watched Hodgins' lips part into a smile.

**Bogotá, Colombia, Saturday at 12:00 p.m.**

Booth paced back and forth in Eduardo Santana's apartment, well more like hobbled. Brennan tried to force him to use the cane but he refused.

"You're sure that Senoritas Estavez and Chavez will be safe?" Booth asked Eduardo. He was nervous because he didn't want anything bad to happen to the two ladies who'd saved his life.

"Si. There is no way Perez will ever find out it was them who helped you. I told them to go visit their grandparents in Ibagué for a little while; it's a city west of here. So what's the plan?" The ex-police detective wondered.

"The plan is to get to Perez before he gets to me and somehow get my rifle back so they can't tie me to Santiago's death. Perez promised to make it look like Santiago was shot during the shootout and I'm sure my disappearing act didn't play into his plans." Booth said.

"And just how do you expect to do that? You can barely walk and your right arm is practically useless. I find this whole plan disconcerting and illogical." Brennan finally spoke up from her spot on the sofa. Booth could see her trying to hide her concern.

"You were incredibly lucky that Senorita Estavez recognized Perez and that she had a cousin who worked as a nurse in a hospital. If she hadn't helped you, I'd be picking up your body." Temperance continued. Her concern was being to overtake her calm logical self and she was beginning to get very angry. Booth knew she was right and carefully placed himself next to her on the couch.

"I know I was lucky but I can't let Perez get away with this." The FBI Agent tried to make her understand.

"Why so you can feed your Alpha Male tendencies and that humongous ego?" Brennan's words struck a chord. Booth was about to say something when Eduardo cut in.

"This isn't going to help us. How can you two work together?" The ex-police detective was dumbfounded. When neither one gave an answer, Eduardo continued.

"Now how can we get Perez?"

"As far as we know, Perez doesn't know that I'm even alive so I doubt he's going to figure out that I know he is dirty." Booth said.

"So maybe we surprise him." Eduardo replied.

"What like walking into the police station?" Temperance asked. The ex-detective nodded and looked at Booth.

"Why not? It would be the last thing anyone would expect." The FBI Agent said.

"Walk into the police station and tell them to arrest Perez? With what evidence?" Brennan asked.

"It's a case of he said, I said, and I can't blow him in without the chance of being blown in myself. This whole affair is ugly." Booth put his head in his left hand.

"The only way this goes away is by telling the truth. 'Getting rid of' Perez may sound like the easiest thing to do but how are you really going to be able to deal with it? _You're_ the one that is going to have to deal with your conscience and your god with what you want to do. The truth may get you into trouble but it's the only way you'll be able to live with yourself." Brennan told him.

"The truth will take my badge and my career. Plus that will not stop Perez from trying to kill me." Booth said.

"Are we even sure that's what he was trying to do?" Temperance asked.

"Why else would that man be running into the building and why would he be running upstairs? The teams would definitely follow him up into the building and find him. It would be like running into a dead end." Eduardo spoke up.

"Maybe he was doing what I was doing. On the lower floor in a special spot I hid my tactical gear but maybe the guy hid some sort of weapon on an upper floor." Booth told them.

"Could be but I'm sure whatever it was it is long gone. Perez would have picked it up by now." Eduardo said.

"And that would have included my tactical gear." Booth said.

"Well I think we should sweep the building anyhow. It can't hurt to look over everything. We'll need more than just hunches and 'gut feelings' to get Perez to back off." Brennan told them. The men nodded.

"All right let's go." She said.

"No, I'd better go alone." Eduardo stopped her.

"No one will notice another Colombian man around the building but if you show up people are going to start to wonder especially since they might have seen you when we visited the crime scene." He continued. Brennan was about to object but Booth spoke up first.

"He's right. We can't have anybody follow the two of you and ruin our only chance of surprising Perez." Temperance knew he was right and watched as Eduardo got up and grabbed his coat and left the apartment.

To Be Continued…


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 **

**At the Crime Scene, Saturday at 1:00 pm**

Eduardo walked into the building and was immediately noticed some kids playing in the hallway. One was wearing a pair of goggles and another was wearing a helmet. They were teasing each other with squirt guns and almost got him wet.

"¡Miren niños! (Watch out children!)" Their mother admonished them.

"Ellos son bien. Sólo teniendo un poco de diversión. ¿Puedo preguntar dónde ellos consiguieron el casco y anteojos? (They are fine. Just having a little fun. Can I ask where they got the helmet and goggles?)" Eduardo asked.

"No sé. (I don't know.)" She turned to her children and asked,

"Alejandro, Elias¿Dónde encontró estas cosas? (Where did you find those things?)"

"En la abertura. (In the vent.)" Alejandro spoke up and pointed down the hall.

"Gracias." Eduardo thanked them and walked over to the vent. It was a good hiding place and he bet that there were more vents throughout the entire building. Turning around, he noticed the boys had followed him.

"¿Hablas inglés? (Do you speak English?)" He asked them.

"A little." Elias answered.

"Did you guys see what happened the other day?" Eduardo wondered.

"Si. The two men fought in the hall." Alejandro told him.

"Did you recognize either one of them?" The ex-police detective asked.

"Not the white one but the other one." Elias said. The boy moved in and whispered,

"He worked next door." Eduardo nodded.

"He'd been in here a few times before and he always headed upstairs." Alejandro said.

"Gracias." Eduardo smiled and headed upstairs. Unfortunately the boys hadn't really narrowed down his search but at least it gave him a decent idea. Maybe Booth had unwittingly saved a lot of police officers and federal agents. However, it still wasn't enough proof that Perez wasn't trying to have Agent Booth killed. Perhaps all the henchman was doing was scoping out the fighting ground so he was familiar with it. All there was to do was to investigate more.

**The Diner on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.**

Angela and Hodgins were enjoying their lunch when the forensic artist realized she never found Dr. Brennan.

"Where do you think she is?" Angela asked him.

"You tried her cell and her apartment?" Hodgins wondered.

"No one answered on her cell or at her apartment; it went to voicemail and the answering machine. So I went to the Lab but only you were there. I didn't actually go to her apartment." The forensic artist told him.

"Well why don't we check it out after lunch. All we have to do is pay the waitress." Hodgins said as he finished off the rest of his fries. He grabbed the check and paid for the meal. Angela got up and they held hands as they walked out to the entomologist's car. As both were about to find out Dr. Brennan was nowhere near her apartment.

**Eduardo Santana's apartment, Bogotá, Colombia at 1:45 pm**

Booth and Brennan had been sitting mostly in silence since Eduardo had left. Neither one had really any idea why but the FBI Agent decided to break the silence.

"Temperance, are you all right?" Under the circumstances it seemed like a stupid question but he had to ask.

"Booth, I'm so confused. Part of me wanted to be here to find you because I… well I know this sounds so… because I felt that I couldn't live without you. I'm an independent woman and I've never needed anyone before but with you it's different. I've done some illogical things in the past few days and it is really starting to scare me." She answered.

"Love isn't supposed to be logical. I know that relationships haven't worked out for you in the past and I know you've been hurt that's why we've been taking it slow. I mean we did jump right into things but it was only once so far. I want to wait for you to make your mind because I love you. It's all right to be confused." He smiled his "charm" and leaned over to her. The FBI Agent gently placed his lips on her cheek. Even that slight contact made Brennan feel all warm inside. She liked that feeling and never wanted it to disappear. The forensic anthropologist was about to kiss him back when the apartment door opened.

"I found something." Eduardo said.

To Be Continued…


	13. Chapter 13

_Rita Zafra: I'm afraid English is the only language I speak (unless you count the 3 years of Latin in high school). I would appreciate you translating them again. I try to do the best with my stories and your help would be great. I'm glad you are enjoying the story, thanks._

_A/N: Thanks to all those Spanish-speaking people for not killing me about the translations. I used a website to do them so, please accept my apology for any mistakes. :) _

_A/N 2: I know this was a long time in coming but I appreciate those of you who stuck with me. I had to get the Bull-Pen Challenge up before I went camping so my other stories had top take a back seat. Thanks for your patience and now on with the show! _

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**Chapter 13**

**The Colombian Police Department, Sunday at 10 am**

FBI Special Agent Booth walked into the police department leaning heavily on the cane the hospital gave him. He came to the front desk and asked to see Detective Perez. The officer pointed him in the right direction and he strode through the rows of desks until he reached the office door of the dirty detective.

"Can I have a word?" He asked. Detective Perez looked up from his paperwork and his eyes went wide.

"Agent Booth! Where have you been?" He asked as Booth closed the door.

"I've been staying safe. I'd like my rifle back." The FBI Agent said.

"Of course. Have you seen a doctor?" Perez asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, they removed the bullet in my leg and patched up my arm." Booth's thoughts reverted back to finding the stitches in his arm and leg. Senorita Chavez had done an outstanding job and the doctor at the hospital where she worked agreed to leave the nurse out of the report. After all gunshot victims weren't that rare.

"I should contact the FBI and DEA agents out in the field about you, so they give up looking." Perez changed the subject again.

"What about my rifle?" Booth asked.

"I have it safe at my place. Do you want to meet later to retrieve it?" The Colombian detective wondered.

"I'm sure that the other agents will want to get me home as soon as possible, especially after I've been found." Booth said.

"True. I'll tell the officer I'm going out to the FBI/DEA headquarters and we'll pick up your rifle on the way." Perez promised.

"Sounds good." The FBI Agent said. Nodding, Perez picked his suit coat off the back of his chair and they headed out of the police station.

**Angela's Apartment, Sunday at 11 am**

Hodgins knocked on the apartment door. He'd gone home last night to talk to Zach about Dr. Brennan. The entomologist and Angela had found the forensic anthropologist's place completely empty and both were starting to worry. Angela opened the door and let him enter.

"Hey any luck?" She asked.

"No, but I brought you some breakfast." Hodgins held a bag up with the International House of Pancakes logo on it.

"I'm not that hungry. I'm too nervous." She said as she plopped down on the sofa.

"You gotta eat something." The entomologist told her. Angela shook her head.

"Come on if you eat something we'll go to the lab and see if maybe she left a note or something on her desk." Hodgins offered. The forensic artist smiled and grabbed for one of the take-out containers.

**Bogotá, Colombia, Sunday at 11:30 am**

Booth now had his rifle and they were on their way to headquarters when they gave him a look.

"I'm sorry Agent Booth but I didn't think you'd still be alive. In fact if Armand had done his job you wouldn't be." The dirty detective said.

"I know but lucky for me, I'm a better shot." Booth answered in stride. Perez smiled.

"So you know what happens now?" He said.

"I do but I don't think you do." Booth whipped out his Glock 22 from the pocket of his coat and pressed the muzzle at Perez's temple.

"Drive." He ordered.

To Be Continued…


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Bogotá, Colombia, Sunday at 11:45 am**

Booth knew that he wasn't as good a shot with his left arm but with his right out of commission he didn't have a choice. He continued to give Perez directions toward where Eduardo had told him to go.

"You really think that you can handle me by yourself?" Perez smirked.

"Oh, I don't know, I think I'm doing pretty well so far." Booth pressed the muzzle of his Glock into the side of the dirty detective's head.

"Turn here." The FBI Agent continued.

"An alley? I'm surprised I would have thought you would have had more imagination than that, Special Agent Booth." Perez told him.

"Turn the car off and put both your hands on the steering wheel." Booth ignored his comments. It was then that he heard a familiar voice.

"Open the door using the outside latch and step out of the car!" Perez did as he was told.

"Put your hands behind you head!" Again the dirty detective followed the order.

"Eduardo Santana, you bastard. How are you still alive?" Perez asked.

"Lucky for me your men aren't very good shots." Santana smirked as he approached their captive. Booth and Brennan looked at each other.

"Why don't you tell them that to their faces?" Perez asked and as if on cue, Booth could hear the sounds of multiple guns cocking. Looking around he could see men behind the cars at the entrance to the alley. They were trapped.

"You really think I wouldn't have a few of my men follow me?" He continued, putting his hands down. Booth immediately moved to get Brennan out of the way; she was his main concern.

"Get behind those…" he didn't get to finish. Brennan pulled out the Smith and Wesson and said,

"No. You can't fight and I'm not going to lose you again." She said. There was no time to argue and Booth knew that it wasn't about getting hurt but more about being killed. However, before either one could react, Eduardo whistled.

Immediately windows opened on both sides of the buildings and weapons were pointed toward the people in the alley. Perez watched in shock as the men who had followed them hopped back into their cars and drove away. Squealing of tires could be heard; Booth noted that there must have been some of Santana's men waiting out in the street.

"Detective Perez, by the authority invested in me by Internal Affairs, you are under arrest." Eduardo grabbed the man's hands from his sides and pulled them behind his back. Once Perez was cuffed, Santana walked over toward the confused FBI Agent and forensic anthropologist.

"I'd like to thank you for your help." Eduardo said.

"You work for Internal Affairs?" Brennan and Booth answered at the same time.

"Sorry about keeping that from you but it was necessary to make sure I didn't involve you any more than needed. Besides it's not really discussed down here." He said.

"I take it that we weren't part of the original equation." Booth wondered.

"No, in fact without you I probably wouldn't have been able to get what I needed. The firearms I found in the vent back at the crime scene were the last straw. I have enough evidence to put Perez and his boys away for a long time." Eduardo told them.

"Well, we were glad to help." Brennan smiled as she took Booth hand in hers.

"Let's get back to the station and call the FBI/DEA teams looking for you. Also I'll need a statement from you so we can put the icing on the cake." Santana said.

**Brennan's Hotel Room 7:00 pm**

Dr. Brennan lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. The next available flight to D.C. wasn't until Monday at nine a.m. so she let her thoughts wonder back to what had happened this afternoon. They were lucky that Eduardo's connections were in fact the fellow officers he worked with. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Quickly, she got up and answered it.

"Seeley, come in." A slight smile crossed her face. He smiled and nimbly moved with the cane.

"I see you're getting good with that thing." She said.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it. I'm going to get rid of it as soon as I can." Booth told her, as he sat down on the end of the bed.

"So how did Cullen take the news of your return?" Brennan asked, as she sat down next to him on the left hand side.

"Well, he took it as I would have expected him to. He told me to never pull that stunt again or he'd have my ass. Lucky for me, Eduardo talked to him first." Booth smiled. She looked at him skeptically.

"So you didn't get fired or anything?" Brennan asked.

"No, my career is still intact. As far as anyone in D.C. knows, I came down to help with the capture of Carlos Santiago." He smiled.

"I take it Eduardo made sure that nothing was changed in the initial reports and no one will go digging because he was a drug lord." She said but didn't return his smile. Booth could tell that she wasn't happy.

"Tell me what's wrong." He said.

"What isn't wrong, Seeley? This whole affair has been full of lies and deceit. I thought it was our job to find the truth and tell everyone that truth. I've lied to people and you've lied to people. How can you just be ok with that?" Brennan wondered.

"I'm not ok with it. I don't like to lie and have to cover things up but as a Ranger I had to. As bad as it sounds, I've gotten used to it. I'm not proud of what I did but if someone had killed me, wouldn't you want the person who did it to pay?" Booth asked.

"Of course I would but I'd want the justice system to handle it." She argued.

"Down here their justice isn't like ours. There was a good chance that Santiago would have gotten away with killing Marcus and that _I_ can't live with." He told her. Brennan sighed she just didn't know what to do.

"Listen, I know this is hard and I know you don't like it but think about what has happened. A drug lord and his right hand man have been taken down. A lot of innocent people were saved because of it and that's what you have to look at. That's the only thing that keeps me going, knowing that even though I've killed someone, I've stopped them from killing anymore innocent people. Every time I get behind that scope and see my target I imagine my family are the ones I'm avenging and it makes me feel better." Booth explained. He moved his left arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. His touch felt good and Brennan leaned against him.

"Temperance, maybe you'll never be able to accept that part of me but no matter what I will always love you."

"Seeley, I love you too and I want this to work. I have to come to terms with what you used to do and have done because I want to be with you and I know you'd do anything for me. You checked yourself out of the hospital to save me from Kenton and you rushed to my rescue when I was being stalked. None of that has anything to do with you being a sniper." She turned to him and placed her lips on his cheek. The two sat there holding each other for a little while until the FBI Agent asked,

"By the way, who gave you my gun?"

To Be Continued…


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**The Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab, Monday at 12:00 pm.**

Cam paced back and forth around in her office. She had found Dr. Brennan's note and she was not pleased. Goodman would have her ass when he got back if he found out that the good doctor had quit. A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in." She said in exasperation.

"Cam, I'm starting to get nervous." It was Angela.

"Why what's up?" The newest member of the team decided to hold off with the news until she found out what was bothering the forensic artist.

"Well I haven't heard from Brennan at all since Friday. I called her on her cell, went to her apartment, came here on Saturday and she wasn't anywhere to be seen." Angela said. She left out the part, that she and Hodgins got a little distracted and never made it in on Sunday.

"I haven't heard from Cullen about Booth either." Cam told her. Just then the doctor's phone rang. She was going to let it go until she saw the name on the Caller ID.

"Booth? Where have you been?" Cam asked.

"Listen, it's a long story and I promise to tell you but I can't right now. I just wanted to call and let you know that Agent O'Connor will be filling in for me until next Monday." Booth explained.

"Well we need to talk and soon." From Dr. Saroyan's tone, the FBI Special Agent could tell something was up.

"All right. Call me in an hour and we'll talk." Booth told her.

"Sounds good, talk to you soon." Cam hung up the phone.

"Is he okay? Where has he been?" Angela asked.

"I have no idea. All he said was that he wouldn't be back in until next Monday but he promised to talk to me in an hour more about it." Dr. Saroyan told the forensic artist.

"What about Bren?" Angela asked.

"I don't know." Cam said.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Booth hung up his cell phone and looked over to the person on the other side of him. She smiled slightly and he leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. The entire flight back he'd been surprised at how quiet Temperance had been.

"I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record but are you all right?" Booth asked.

"I'm just tired." It was an obvious lie but he figured when she was ready she'd tell him.

"Well, why don't you go take a nap in my room? I have a few phone calls to make so it's not like you have anything to do." The FBI Agent suggested. Brennan didn't object and that made him wonder but he just shrugged it off.

A little while later, his cell phone rang and he answered it. Just as he suspected, cam was right on time with her call.

"Hey, Cam."

"Hey? What is going on? I can't get a straight answer out of anyone down at the FBI Building." Dr. Saroyan didn't pull any punches.

"I was injured in the line of duty and they sent me home a little late is all." Booth knew that he had to leave out most of the details.

"How severe are your injuries?" She asked.

"I took one in the leg and one in the arm. I'll be fine but I won't be cleared for duty until Friday afternoon, that's why I won't be back until Monday." Booth said it as nonchalantly as he could.

"Well then there is something else I have to talk to you about." From the tone of her voice, he wasn't sure if she believed him but whatever the 'something else' was it had to be important.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I walked into Dr. Brennan's office today to find a note on her desk informing us of her immediate resignation. Then I was talking with Angela and she says she hasn't heard or seen from Doc since Friday." Cam told him.

"Immediate resignation?" The two words didn't sound right.

"Yes. Do you have any idea where she is?" Cam wondered.

"Let me get back to you." Booth said and before Dr. Saroyan could say anything else he hung up on her. What Cam had just said, didn't make any sense. Of course Cam would have no reason to lie so… No, Bones would never give up her job; she loved it.

"I take it Cam told you." Brennan's voice made him jump.

"Told me?" Booth decided to see how much she'd overheard.

"Don't be coy with me. You know all about what I've done." The forensic anthropologist said as she said down next to him on the sofa.

"I guess I should be upset but somehow I'm more confused than anything else. Bones, you love your job. Why would you quit?" Booth wondered.

"After I heard that you were missing and presumed dead, I just made the decision to go to Colombia and not come back until I found you. I didn't know how long it was going to take and I assumed that when I didn't show on Monday that Cam would just fire me. So instead of being fired, I quit." Brennan said.

"You quit the job you love to come and find me?" He asked.

"Isn't that what I just said?" She wondered.

"You saved me from Kenton and you came down to New Orleans when you didn't have to. I figured I could not call myself your partner if I weren't willing to do the same." Brennan continued. Booth smiled and said,

"You're much more than my partner. You are the woman I love and my best friend." Brennan blushed and asked,

"You'll still love me if I'm unemployed?"

"Of course. And as far as being unemployed, I'm sure there is something we can do about that." Booth said as he moved in close and captured her lips.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**_A/N: Methinks there will be one more chapter soon to wrap up the story and then I'm going to wait until I see this week's Bones before starting another one. :) crosses fingers for the life/death situation to bring Brennan/Booth and Hodgins/Angela closer_**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**The following Monday at the Jeffersonian 9:00 am**

FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth walked into the Medico-Legal Lab carrying a folder in one hand but his mind wasn't in the file it was on something that was out in his car. He headed straight to a familiar office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." The familiar voice said.

"It's so good to see you again." Booth smiled.

"But you just saw me thirty minutes ago." The woman answered confused.

"Well I get pretty lonely lately. Anyway we have another case to work on and I was wondering if you'd be willing to leave that paperwork to go out to the crime scene." He said.

"To go to a crime scene always." A smile crossed her face.

"Dr. Brennan, I need to talk with you." Cam said just walking into the office.

"Well I…" Booth cut the forensic anthropologist off.

"There is a case that requires Bones' attention, you'll have to talk later."

"Then we'll talk later." Cam said and she retreated to the lab.

"Booth…" Again Dr. Brennan was cut off.

"We'll talk in the car, come on." He said. Brennan gave him a look but she knew that whatever it was it had to be important.

"Ok, let me grab my kit and instruct my team." She said. Quickly, Temperance went out to the platform and told Zach and Hodgins that she was going out to a crime scene and that they should alert Angela as well.

Five minutes later, Booth and Brennan hopped into the big black SUV. The forensic anthropologist expected him to put the keys in the ignition and get moving but he didn't.

"Before we go anywhere, I have something that I need to do."

"Um ok but you probably should have taken care of it while we were in the Lab." Brennan said.

"I can't, too many people around. I wanted to wait until tonight but I can't." Booth told her.

"I've been staying at your place this whole week and…" she never finished as Booth leaned over and kissed her. He then opened the compartment between their seats and pulled a rectangular box from it. Handing it to Brennan, he could see the look on her face.

"Seeley, what is this for?" She asked.

"Just open it." He smiled. She obliged him and saw that it was a beautiful silver dolphin on a silver chain.

"I was going to give this to you before I did my disappearing act in Colombia." He said.

"Oh, Seeley it's gorgeous. Thank you." She smiled.

"I figured you could wear it out when we go to dinner or something." Booth seemed excited. Brennan continued to smile and said,

"Or when we go to a crime scene."

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Dr. Brennan sat at her desk, trying to piece together the information in front of her about the body that they had brought back to the lab earlier. She looked at her watch and noticed that she'd promised Booth to be at his place around eight, which meant she needed to go home and change first.

"Doc, we need to have that talk." Cam stood in the doorway.

"Of course, I meant to try to talk to you earlier but I got wrapped up in the Hodgins' findings." Brennan said.

"I think that you know what this is about." Dr. Saroyan moved inside and shut the door.

"My immediate resignation note." Brennan fingered the silver dolphin that hung around her neck.

"Yes, and I want you to know Goodman's wrath or not, the next time I find one of these, I will follow it through and you will not have a job here at the Jeffersonian." Cam told her.

"I understand." Brennan nodded.

"There is one thing I have to know." The Head of Forensics said.

"Was it worth it?" She continued.

"Absolutely." Brennan smiled and wrapped her fingers around the dolphin and clenched it. Cam seemed satisfied with that answer and replied,

"Then have a good night, Doc." Brennan watched her leave and the she quickly pulled all her personal items together. She had to get home so she could look nice for her date.

**The End**

* * *

**_A/N: Well there you have it. I hope that you enjoyed it and I thank you for hanging in there through my spastic updating. I hope to have another story started on the 18th, I'd start it earlier but I have two tests this week (one on Tuesday and the other Friday) so studying will unfortunately be my life for the next few days. Thanks again, _**

**_18lzytwner _**


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